Patients could have been alive despite the futility of the whole thing. A lot of people here in the US remain "alive" in biological terms only, despite their mental capacity having left prior to reaching the hospital

FTFA...A Brazilian doctor appeared in court for allegedly killing seven patients to free up hospital beds in the southeast city of Curitiba. Investigators say between 2006 and 2013, de Souza ordered medical professionals working under her at an intensive care unit to alter medication and oxygen levels. He said his team is analyzing medical charts of more than 1,700 patients and interviewing more doctors.

Something doesn't sound right. 7 out of 1700+? That's at most 0.4% or 1/year. I think they are going to have an extremely difficult time proving anything. Plus, how would she have profited?

Tozmo:Patients could have been alive despite the futility of the whole thing. A lot of people here in the US remain "alive" in biological terms only, despite their mental capacity having left prior to reaching the hospital

I work with quite a few folks who are only "alive" in biological terms.

Tozmo:Patients could have been alive despite the futility of the whole thing. A lot of people here in the US remain "alive" in biological terms only, despite their mental capacity having left prior to reaching the hospital

However, this was somewhat addressed in the article:

FTA: "In an interview with CNN affiliate TV Globo, Mario Lobato, the doctor tasked by the health ministry to investigate the case, said the number of deaths could be much higher....De Souza has pleaded not guilty. .....Her lawyer, Elias Mattar Assad, said she will prove that her orders in the ICU were backed and justified by medical literature. Lobato, however, said some of the patients were awake and conscious moments before the drugs were administered."

So, even if we could justify 'cleaning out' the hospital of braindead people, I think awake and conscious are pretty key terms to know if killing them was the best option. I highly doubt it was the only option available to De Souza.

What shocks me is Brazil being concerned with the loss of human life or crime being commited. That's much more 'Fark worthy' than any other single part of the story.

/just a matter of time since Congress and the Prez haven't yet gotten any help for their addiction to spending (our money)//and forgot to include Secy of State John Kerry who travels around handing out large checks to foreign countries

Group of doctors, over the course of seven years, euthanize seven patients at their request. Country with strong Christian background (two-thirds of the population is Roman Catholic) paints group of doctors as callous murderers in order to prosecute them.

MaritimeGirl:FTFA...A Brazilian doctor appeared in court for allegedly killing seven patients to free up hospital beds in the southeast city of Curitiba. Investigators say between 2006 and 2013, de Souza ordered medical professionals working under her at an intensive care unit to alter medication and oxygen levels. He said his team is analyzing medical charts of more than 1,700 patients and interviewing more doctors.

Something doesn't sound right. 7 out of 1700+? That's at most 0.4% or 1/year. I think they are going to have an extremely difficult time proving anything. Plus, how would she have profited?

Hey guys! If we mock the people who truly understand the changes coming to health care, then we can disillusion ourselves and continue believing that Obamacare will truly implement a system in which no life-or-death cost-based decisions will be made by government agencies! Soldier on, liberals!

Phineas:Hey guys! If we mock the people who truly understand the changes coming to health care, then we can disillusion ourselves and continue believing that Obamacare will truly implement a system in which no life-or-death cost-based decisions will be made by government agencies! Soldier on, liberals!

Damn straight! I say we keep the system where insurance companies never make cost-based life and death decisions, or if we do we could at least vote their executives out of office.

MaritimeGirl:FTFA...A Brazilian doctor appeared in court for allegedly killing seven patients to free up hospital beds in the southeast city of Curitiba.Investigators say between 2006 and 2013, de Souza ordered medical professionals working under her at an intensive care unit to alter medication and oxygen levels.He said his team is analyzing medical charts of more than 1,700 patients and interviewing more doctors.

Something doesn't sound right. 7 out of 1700+? That's at most 0.4% or 1/year.

I read it as:she's in court accused of killing 7. They're investigating 1700 further patients she cared for who may have also died in suspicious circumstances.

I think they are going to have an extremely difficult time proving anything. Plus, how would she have profited?

Phineas:Hey guys! If we mock the people who truly understand the changes coming to health care, then we can disillusion ourselves and continue believing that Obamacare will truly implement a system in which no life-or-death cost-based decisions will be made by government agencies! Soldier on, liberals!

Prosecutors allege de Souza pulled the plug on victims against the wishes of patients and their families, and in so doing broke the law.... Her lawyer, Elias Mattar Assad, said she will prove that her orders in the ICU were backed and justified by medical literature. Lobato, however, said some of the patients were awake and conscious moments before the drugs were administered.

Hm, since the allegation is that the doctor made the decision against the wishes of the families and the patient, wouldn't that sort of take it entirely out of the realm of euthanasia and into murder? Also, for you utilitarians out there, doctors don't have either the legal or moral right to just start killing even unclaimed irreversibly vegetative patients just lying around taking up space, not without all kinds of court orders and doctor conferences and attempts to find SOME next of kin. Even in Brazil. It sounds like the doctor just took it on herself to say "This one's got no chance, double lethal dose of morphine and change the sheets!"

I know some of you would prefer that they could, but I know of no civilized country where they can, yet.

The Tea Totaling Tea Partying Terrors Touting Titillating Testosterone to say Obama is announcing that new regulations that Obamacare created for even those who will not get it, will allow doctors to do the same

You know, about the hypothetical death panels. I seriously would have no problem with that. It's inhuman that people should lack medical care because resources are being diverted towards keeping an incontinent octogenarian vegetable alive for a few extra weeks of misery. As good as medicine has gotten at prolonging life, it's all useless while we can't prolong youth and health. Whatever.

FormlessOne:Group of doctors, over the course of seven years, euthanize seven patients at their request. Country with strong Christian background (two-thirds of the population is Roman Catholic) paints group of doctors as callous murderers in order to prosecute them.

Meh.

Where in the article did it say there was patient consent? Prosecution says it was against patient and family desires, though they would be expected to say that. Nothing from defense admitting any intention, and certainly nothing about patient consent.